Four Tet and Floating Points Share Six-Hour Set From Plastic People Closing Night

London club was an epicenter of the British dance music scene

Front page photo by Matt Lief Anderson

Plastic People was a club in London's Shoreditch district that played a key part in the city's dance music scene, hosting residencies from artists such as Four Tet, James Blake, Carl Craig, Theo Parrish, and more. On January 2, the club hosted its final night for the public before shutting down. Four Tet (aka Kieran Hebden) and Floating Points (aka Sam Shepherd) performed. Now, they've shared their six-hour set, along with a note commemorating the club.

You can listen to the set above, and check out the note below:

Over the past 8 years or so we have had, along with Theo Parrish, the honour of playing the monthly residencies at a small basement club in Shoreditch, London with an impeccable sound system. After 20 years of operation, it was time to move on and close the doors on a place that has a lot to answer for in shaping modern club culture. To say this space along with the owner Ade’s singular vision was fundamental in our personal musical formation would be a complete understatement.

On the day of their closing, manager Charlotte asked us if we’d put the system through its paces for the last time that the club would be open to the public. We set about packing the anthems from our respective residencies and on the night once the people were through the doors played 2 records in turn for the rest of the dance. We included tracks of our own and of friends that were made with that place in mind. Records like Daphni - Ye Ye and Four Tet - Pinnacles were made to first be played at Kieran’s nights there, and the Floating Points - Vacuum EP was born out of the CD-R night at the club, and its launch party was the trigger for Sam’s monthly residency.

We set this recording up just before the start of the night and unfortunately it distorts in places, but we make no apology for how joyfully noisy people get! The vibe in the room this night was typical of the club on any given night and we hope this recording captures just a fraction of the spirit of a Plastic People night.

A massive thank you from us to everyone that has come down to the nights over the years and supported our music there. We are truly humbled to have shared the music we love with people at this place, and your energy in turn has influenced the way we make music on an unfathomable scale. We also thank the bosses Charlotte Kepel and Ade Fakile for inviting us to the club and having faith in us over these years! All the best for the future!